Variables 2
- October 1, 2021
- Asteroid Game Studio
Get on SteamAfter two years of precipitation, we re-made this variable sequel after thinking about it! Variable 2 is a unique stand-alone tower defense game. We have enriched the building and elements of tower defense, and the experience in the game can be changed according to your ideas!
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a creative turret upgrade system and allows players to design their own mazes on large open maps, enhancing strategic gameplay.
- It features a variety of guns and mechanics that encourage experimentation and replayability, making it enjoyable for tower defense enthusiasts.
- Despite some translation issues, the game is considered an improvement over its predecessor, providing a fun and challenging experience for hardcore players.
- The game suffers from significant bugs and optimization issues, which can detract from the overall experience, especially after investing time in designing levels.
- Many item descriptions are poorly translated or unclear, forcing players to figure out their functions through trial and error.
- The user interface is overly complicated, hiding essential information and making gameplay more cumbersome than necessary.
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been criticized for lacking the charm and depth of the original, with many feeling that the updates have resulted in a soulless aesthetic rather than a meaningful improvement. While some elements, like the boss fight mechanics and health bar graphics, are praised for their innovation, the overall visual experience is seen as disappointing given the resources invested.
“The graphics are more smoothed over and soulless than the original, and astonishingly, the soundtrack pales in comparison to the original as well.”
“I think the boss fight mechanics and health bar graphics are really cool and innovative.”
“Really all they had to do with this game was incrementally improve on the original (in the spirit of Dungeon Warfare II vs I) and they would have had a beautiful thing on their hands; instead, it seems to try to reinvent the original with 'updated' graphics and UI which end up unnecessarily complicating things.”
“The graphics are more smoothed over and soulless than the original and, astonishingly, the soundtrack pales in comparison to the original as well (yes - the one song that drills itself into your head hour after hour in Variables 1 - is actually better than any of the soulless crap on offer here).”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is an improvement over the first installment, featuring a mix of RNG elements that can be both enjoyable and frustrating, depending on player preference. A new vertical mechanic allows for multi-leveled maze building, adding a fun twist, while the game also offers engaging boss fight mechanics and opportunities for creative strategies in endless mode. Overall, it presents a fun tower defense experience with innovative features.
“In terms of gameplay, it's just better than the first in every respect. There's still an RNG element to it, which can be fun or annoying depending on your preference. The new vertical mechanic allows you to build mazes on three different levels, which can be enjoyable for creating multi-leveled mazes.”
“Other than that, it's a fun tower defense game with some interesting twists. You can engage in a lot of creative strategies in endless mode once you better understand the game mechanics and how to use the items, which adds to the fun.”
“I think the boss fight mechanics and health bar graphics are really cool and innovative.”
“In terms of gameplay, it's just better than the first in every respect... there's still an RNG element to it, which can be fun or annoying depending on whether you like that sort of thing. There's a new vertical mechanic where you can build mazes in three different levels; that's not as huge as it might look, to be honest, but it can be fun to build multi-leveled mazes.”
“Other than that, it's a fun tower defense game with some interesting twists to it. You can do a lot of degenerate stuff in endless mode once you better understand the mechanics of the game and how to use the items, so that's always fun too.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has been widely criticized for lacking the charm and impact of the original soundtrack, with many reviewers describing it as "soulless" and inferior to previous compositions. One standout track from the original is noted as being more memorable than the new offerings, highlighting a significant drop in quality.
“The soundtrack pales in comparison to the original as well; the one song that drills itself into your head hour after hour in the original is actually better than any of the soulless tracks on offer here.”
“The graphics are more smoothed over and soulless than the original, and the music fails to capture the same essence, leaving a disappointing experience.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Many users report that the game demands excessive CPU and GPU resources despite its simplicity, suggesting that it may not be well-optimized for the Unity engine.
“It really draws heavily from your CPU and GPU for such a simple game, and I feel like it isn't optimized for the Unity engine.”
“The performance issues are frustrating; the game lags even on high-end hardware, which suggests poor optimization.”
“I expected better optimization for a game of this scale, but it struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has received negative feedback regarding its stability, with users reporting significant bugs that can disrupt gameplay, particularly after investing time in designing features.
“The primary reason I'm giving it a thumbs down is that it's just so buggy, and when you spend a lot of time designing a field, that can be a real killer.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience.”
“I encountered numerous glitches that disrupted gameplay, which really detracted from my overall enjoyment.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game's replayability high due to its tile-laying mechanics that allow for varied attacker routes and the ability to combine turrets into more powerful versions, creating unique challenges with each playthrough.
“The mechanisms of creating the attacker's route using tiles you lay down, combined with the ability to merge turrets into more powerful ones, make it both challenging and highly replayable.”
“Each playthrough offers a unique experience, thanks to the diverse strategies you can employ and the different combinations of upgrades available.”
“The random elements and varying objectives in each session keep the gameplay fresh, encouraging players to return for more.”
